On 17 June 2026, a 39‑year‑old suspected leader of Ecuador’s Los Águilas gang, Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, was shot dead as he departed José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in the country’s largest city.
Security footage released by the police shows two young men waiting outside the arrivals terminal with stuffed toys and flowers. One of them approached Suástegui, drew a pistol from behind a teddy bear and fired a single shot that struck him point‑blank. A second gunman fired additional shots before both fled the scene.
Police have detained two teenagers in connection with the attack, which follows Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, declaring a fresh state of emergency in ten provinces, including Guayaquil, the day before.
Los Águilas, declared a “terrorist organisation” in 2024, is accused of running large‑scale drug trafficking and extortion operations across the region, exploiting Ecuador’s position between Colombia and Peru. The country has become a major corridor for cocaine smuggling into the United States and Europe.
The shooting shocked local residents; the arrivals hall was closed for over two hours while forensic teams examined the scene. Reports indicate one bystander was injured, and a suitcase collapsed when the gunfire erupted. Passengers scattered in panic as the shots rang out.
Alongside the death, police are investigating whether the incident is linked to recent gang feuds that have culminated in a record‑high murder rate in 2025. The state of emergency grants security forces expanded powers, including lawful warrantless searches for suspected illicit activity. While authorities pursue the perpetrators, the broader surge in violence continues to threaten public safety across Ecuador’s urban centres.
